The most effective ABS exercise: Cable Crunch

Cable crunches are a highly effective and creative way to work on your abs strength and definition. Gone are the days of standard sit-ups and crunches on floor mats to tone your belly. For a decent abs workout and serious results, it is about adding a spot of diversity to your approach.

They, of course, require weighted cables, which can be found in the majority of gyms. Cable work affords you many advantages over other equipment. First of all, they allow you to add weight and therefore greater resistance to your lifts.

Adding weight with plates or dumbbells for standard crunches can be cumbersome and can also restrict your range of movement. Cables, on the other hand, allow a much more natural range of movement with the added benefit of greater resistance.

How you do the Cable Crunch?

Kneel below a high pulley that contains a rope attachment.

Grasp cable rope attachment and lower the rope until your hands are placed next to your face.

Flex your hips slightly and allow the weight to hyper-extend the lower back. This will be your starting position.

With the hips stationary, flex the waist as you contract the abs so that the elbows travel towards the middle of the thighs. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction for a second.

Slowly return to the starting position as you inhale. Tip: Make sure that you keep constant tension on the abs throughout the movement. Also, do not choose a weight so heavy that the lower back handles the brunt of the work.

Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Go heavy with Cable Crunch

You can treat them the same as you would when developing muscles in your arms or legs by focusing on volume, rather than reps. With slight variations in the height of the pulley and weight, you can target different areas of your abs, thus giving you a better overall spread.